This invention relates to zippers, particularly to an immobile and aligned closure system for providing dependably coupled slide fasteners.
My U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,547 (2000) entitled Immobilized Alignment Closure System, uses a plurality of arresting members situated on one of two elongated coupling elements to arrest the movement of the members and align the entrances of the members for instant, snap-lock and easy traditional coupling of the zipper. While efficacious, this system is not as easy to sew onto an object, such as a garment, as would be desirable. An alternative method of providing an immobilized and aligned socket for instant coupling is disclosed, using a single arresting member, a self-locking slider.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,667 to Mizuno (1997) shows an automatic locking slider for a slide fastener. Mizuno""s locking slider is used only to prevent the slider from moving further down the elongate coupling element than desired. It is not used or anticipated to be used for arresting lateral movement of the slider, or for providing easy, dependable coupling. It is not used to create an aligned and immobilized entrance for instant snap-lock, lateral or immobile, traditional coupling of the zipper.
Most of the present-day zippers are constructed well before they are attached to garments. Zippers are made with two elongated coupling elements that each have a xe2x80x9cchainxe2x80x9d of interlocking teeth to open and close the zipper, a sliding zipper head, and a socket member or a stationary pin, which is fixed to an initiating end of the two elongated coupling elements.
Sewing these zippers onto garments is generally difficult because the socket box gets in the way of the sewing machine. Even with a special zipper foot attached to a sewing machine, the presser bar (where the foot is attached) has to rise above the socket box, resulting in loss of feeding pressure to the material. Loss of pressure can cause poor feeding of the fabric, misaligned stitches, skipped stitches, and difficulty in guiding the fabric. Lost or skipped stitches result in a loosely attached elongated coupling element to the garment. This causes difficulty in drawing up the sliding zipper head. It can also cause pre-separation of the lower end of the elongated coupling element, rendering the garment useless for cold weather. Sewing over the missed stitches causes more misaligned stitches, a bulge of thread, and snagging of the zipper head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,849 to Fudaki (1995) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,370 to Fudaki (1996) show separable bottom stop assemblies which enable the socket box to be attached after the fastener stringers are sewn to a garment, this enables easy and neat sewing without obstruction by the box.
Fudaki""s separable bottom stop assemblies, however, do not facilitate the installation of a buckle-started, immobilized alignment closure system. Fudaki""s separable bottom stop assemblies also are not releasable. If an error is made in the installation of the zipper, it results in the loss of that particular zipper and a waste of time it has taken for its installation, since the tapes will have already been sewn on and the members must then be removed, to repair the zipper.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,376 to Akashi et al. shows a separable bottom stop assembly of a concealed slide fastener. This assembly is not a releasable system, and if an error is made during manufacture, time and materials are wasted.
Being out at night adds an added element of danger to a person, especially when they are exposed to traffic of any kind, including slow moving traffic in a parking lot. Adding reflective material to one""s clothing, especially to the clothing and shoes of unwary children, is of utmost importance today. Even a small amount of reflective material, such as a tiny strip or dot on the back of a sneaker, can be seen by a driver and alert them to the presence of a pedestrian, safeguarding their precious life and well being. Reflective material added to a slide fastener, unobtrusive by day, and life saving at night, can save a person""s life, especially when seen from the front of a person, where reflective material is infrequently placed on garments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,585 to Suzuki et al. (1990) shows a light-reflective slide fastener, with a light reflective strip bonded to a row of coupling elements. This reflective strip fits inside the moving zipper head and is bulky. The positioning of the reflective strip and the incorporated glass beads needed for reflection, can interfere with the operation of the sliding zipper head, especially if it extensively covers the interlocking teeth. This zipper cannot be instantly coupled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,818 to Tsubata (1999) shows a retro-reflective filament slide fastener formed from wire rods of thermoplastic resin and retroflective layers. This zipper, however, does not couple instantly through an arrested socket and is not releasable for easy sewing.
A safety zipper that opens under a predetermined pressure is advantageous. If a child""s jacket (or anyone""s) is caught by the door of a school bus, part of a bicycle, or other obtrusive object, the jacket will open, resulting in less injury to the child.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,058 to Cullum (1998) shows a safety release zipper. It, however, it does not totally release at the bottom of the zipper to free the user of the garment in an emergency, and it is not instantly coupled with an immobile and aligned zipper, to create a safer, easily coupled zipper.
Hidden zippers are well known in the prior art. Zippers are often covered by extended folds of fabric that cover the zipper. These folds usually come from either just one side of the separable garment, or both sides that meet in the center, to hide the zipper. These folds of fabric, in addition to hiding the zipper, block wind, air and water that can penetrate the zipper, if left uncovered. If a water-repellent fabric is used, the zipper is kept even drier under the fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,214 to Press (2000) shows a water-resistant slide fastener and process for preparing the same, where a water-resistant layer is adhered to the stringer tapes. Press, however does not solve the problem of making a buckle-started, immobile and aligned closure system that is water resistant. This zipper does not have releasable components.
Japanese Patent Number 2000-004911 to Toshinobu comprises a sliding zipper head with a locking projection. Toshinobu""s locking zipper head only concerns itself with locking the two elongated coupling elements of a slide fastener and the sliding zipper head itself. Toshinobu""s zipper head does not influence or expedite initial coupling of the zipper, nor is it addressed. Initial coupling of a slide fastener is a very different process than coupling elongated coupling elements along their length, or arresting movement of a sliding zipper head in portions along their lengths. Toshinobu""s zipper head does not arrest and align the members of the female side of the zipper and it does not provide an aligned and arrested coupling socket for easy initial coupling, or a guiding entrance for initial, traditional, or snap-lock lateral coupling of the zipper.
Accordingly, several objects of the present closure system are:
(a) to use a self-locking slider to provide an immobile and aligned socket, which is, or includes a slider, so that a slide fastener can be reliably coupled without movement in the slider and for providing a slide fastener with an instant snap together, buckle, which includes a slider, to instantly couple the slide fastener.
(b) to provide easy and durable installation of my immobilized alignment closure systems, on a garment or article of manufacture, without any of the components of the zipper hindering its installation.
(c) to make the immobile and aligned closure system versatile for use in innumerable applications.
(d) to provide a closure system where the components are releasably attached to the elongated coupling element, so that they can be taken off and returned, when needed.
(e) to provide an economical method of attaching my immobile and aligned closure systems, since if a mistake is made during installation, the components can be easily removed, corrected, and returned to the elongated coupling element, rather than discarded.
(f) to make a safer, easy to close garment, or article of manufacture, by providing glow-in-the-dark and reflective material to immobile and aligned closure systems.
(g) to provide immobile and aligned closure systems with apparatus to create waterproof and wind-resistant zippers.
(h) to make a safer garment by providing immobile and aligned closure systems with a safety zipper that releases under predetermined pressure.
(i) to provide immobile and aligned closure systems with apparatus to create a hidden zipper.
Other Objects Are:
(j) to provide an immobile and aligned closure system that needs only a single member to arrest the movement of the sliding zipper head, which provides an immobile and aligned socket, for easy and dependable coupling.
(k) to provide a buckle initiated, or buckle started slide fastener that uses a single arresting member for instant, lateral snap-lock coupling of a zipper.
(l) to create a slide fastener with a dead person""s brake or lock, so the slider doesn""t move unintentionally and provides an immobile and aligned socket for instant, lateral, snap-lock coupling, and smooth traditional coupling of a zipper.
(m) to provide dead person""s locks and other self-locking sliders for dependable coupling, and to design shapes that are aesthetic and comfortable to the fingers for smooth operation.
(n) to create a self-locking sliding zipper head that squares itself off and properly aligns itself for providing an immobile, and aligned socket for coupling.
(o) to provide a magnetically coupled, immobile, and aligned closure system.
(p) to provide an immobile and aligned closure system for xe2x80x9cnon-separablexe2x80x9d zippers for use on jump suits, slacks, skirts, sweaters, and the like, as well as for use on xe2x80x9cseparablexe2x80x9d zippers.
(q) to create a parallel, dual zipper design, using two immobile and aligned zippers, for instant coupling and a wider single opening, and to provide the use of a connective zipper pull for the operation of these zippers.
(r) to provide zippers that can be sold separately for home seamstresses with easy installation and safety features, which can be installed at home as well as at manufacturing sites.
(s) to provide for placement of additional holders, such as an interlocking clip that will hold an ID, keys, ornamentation, etc., on the zipper.
(t) to equip the self-locking immobile and aligned closure system with a rigid, snap-lock interlocking buckle that instantly couples the zipper, intergarment plates, strap holders, and non-encompassing molding, for easy and dependable operation of the closure system.
(u) to create a two-way zipper that has a plurality of self-locking sliding zipper heads that provide an immobile and aligned socket for the instant, snap-lock and easy traditional coupling of a two-way zipper.
(v) to provide a immobile and arrested zipper that operates dependably, without a socket member or male interlocking member.
(w) to make an self-locking immobile and aligned closure system that couples a spring-lock assembly with a non-resilient male interlocking member.
Further Objects and Advantages are:
(x) to provide a new, easy, yet familiar way to close an article of manufacture, with a rigid, snap-together, familiar buckle which is now placed on zippered clothing, and other zippered articles.
(y) to improve my immobilized alignment closure system.
(z) to provide large, rigid buckles, tabs, and tab pulls, so that a user won""t have to remove their gloves to easily couple the zipper.
(aa) to provide immobile and aligned zippers that can be used on very small applications and are strong enough to handle very large applications.
In accordance with the present closure system, I provide an immobile and aligned closure system that relies upon a single component to arrest the movement of the slider and provide an immobile and aligned socket, for instant and dependable coupling. In a first embodiment, a self-locking, sliding zipper head uses a dead person""s lock to align itself and to preventing unintentional movement of the zipper head for dependable, snap-lock lateral, and easy traditional coupling. In a second embodiment, an immobile and aligned closure system is created using only three components, two interlocking elongated coupling elements that directly couple each other, and a self-locking slider that aligns and arrests its own movement to provide an immobile socket for dependable coupling. A third embodiment discloses a self-locking sliding zipper head that locks, using a locking tab holder to arrest its own movement. A fourth embodiment discloses a self-locking sliding zipper head that uses the locking tab holder itself, to arrest movement and to provide proper alignment for dependable coupling. A fifth embodiment discloses improvements to the system of my earlier patent and my other immobile and aligned closure systems, that include easy and economical installation of the zipper, without the hindrance of the zipper""s necessary components being in the way of the installation. A sixth embodiment discloses an arrested and aligned closure system that uses a differentiated interlocking male member and operates a xe2x80x9cnon-separablexe2x80x9d zipper, such as that used on slacks and skirts. A seventh embodiment illustrates the arrested and aligned closure system that is wind resistant and waterproof. An eighth embodiment provides a double zipper unified by a connective strap, to make an opening wider, such as that on a computer or sports bag. This embodiment also illustrates how reflective material can make an arrested and aligned closure system seen by a motorist. A ninth embodiment discloses a magnetically coupled zipper. This embodiment also shows how safety zipper teeth, paired with magnetic coupling provide an easily coupled, safety zipper that releases under predetermined pressure to totally free a wearer, to more easily avoid or lessen injury.
Other applications for the immobile and aligned closure systems, such as for operating two-way zippers, reversible zippers, profile rib and groove zippers for plastic and storage bags are disclosed. The immobile and aligned closure systems are used for both separable zippers and non-separable zippers, with both lateral and traditional coupling. Surfaces of the components, such as the buckle halves, dead person""s lock, and other pull tabs can be easily coated with (or made with in parts) a smooth rubber or other xe2x80x9csoft touchxe2x80x9d enhancing material to make the zipper more pleasing to the user.
With the inclusion of these new features, the easily coupled, immobile, and aligned closure systems will provide the user with more versatile, dependable, economical, and safe zippers to simplify and protect their daily lives and belongings.